Sword (Scepter) of Mikarna the Black Hand (Rune Sword):

Mikarna is a well known figure in history, an extremely powerful king
who ruled one of the first nations after the collapse of the ancient Elven
Kingdom. He ruled his nation with an iron hand and legends tell that he
took over virtually all of his neighbors, forming an empire and having
himself declared emperor. This empire is believed to have been in what
is now the Land of the South Winds.

It is said that Mikarna murdered thousands, maybe even tens of thousands.
He always killed the entire royal family and most of the nobles of a land
which he took over. If even the rumor of dissent came to his ears, he killed
any with any suggestion of disloyalty. This included the nobles who often
had been his allies before and it is said that he killed several of his
own sons and daughters when they were suggested as being disloyal. Of course
he was said to have over two hundred children and he took any woman he
wanted, willing or unwilling. They were discarded often after a short time.

Stories tell that the final disloyalty came from the rune sword he carried,
deciding that it was time for another to be king. It is said that the weapon
contacted one of his bodyguards and suggested the idea that if the bodyguard
was to kill the emperor, he would them become emperor himself. That never
occurred with the bodyguard put to death only minutes after killing Mikarna.
After the emperor was murdered, fighting broke out between several of the
emperor's sons, some of the more powerful surviving nobles, and finally
several of his generals. As might be expected, the Empire fell apart quickly.

The emperor was said to have began his quest for empire soon after acquiring
a powerful rune sword and some believe that it is the true cause of his
attempt to build an empire. In addition to the sword, Mikarna was known
to have an extremely decorative scepter. It is interesting that he appeared
to have never carried both at the same time. The sword was normally carried
when in battle and the scepter was normally carried when in court. If Mikarna
carried the sword in court and especially if he wore armor, someone was
going to die. There was some speculation that both were the same item although
dismissed by most at the time.

Both the Emperor's scepter and rune sword seems to have disappeared
for several centuries after his death. When it finally resurfaced, it found
its way into the hands of a powerful noble within the Western Empire. This
noble, in every way as much of a blackheart as the Mikarna, attempted to
seize the throne from the Emperor. The noble lost his bid for power along
with his life and the Emperor started a campaign to seize the lands around
him soon afterwards. He also started suspected all those around him and
began executing those around him indiscriminately. He was eventually assassinated
by his brother. His brother at first seemed to have worked to restore the
honor of the throne but eventually became just like his brother. These
seems to be a common theme of the sword and several other members of the
royal family fell the same way.

Eventually it was lost by the rulers of the Western Empire, some say
that it was stolen to get it from the hands of those in power. It seems
to have disappeared although a powerful Ogre warrior within the lands of
Old Kingdom is said to have joined a bunch of desperate creatures with
the sword into a power to be reckoned with and threaten the Timero Kingdom.
No one knows what happened to him or the sword.

The people who considered the idea that the sword and the scepter being
the same item are correct. The natural form of the item is that of a black
sword but it can also transform to appear to be a scepter like some rulers
carry as their badge of power.

As a sword, the item appears to be a standard long sword with the weapon
seeming to absorb the light around it. The blade comes to a sharp point
useful for stabbing and the blade has large runes running along both sides
of both the hilt and the blade. The hilt is intricately designed with the
pommel coming to a small ball at the end. In its scepter form, the design
echos that of the sword’s hilt but is gold and silver with inlaid gems.
I appears to be an incredible work of art and worth a king's ransom.

Few rune weapons are as evil as this one is. Unlike most rune weapons,
it is completely independent and can use any and all of its abilities on
its own. It can even use its abilities against its possessor when it perceives
the need. The sword seems to be able to be used by any alignment and it
attempts to get itself into the hands of a powerful leader, a king or other
noble. It avoids those who are psychics because they are the most able
to resist it. Usually the sword will start by talking sweet to whoever
lays their hands on the weapon, attempting to corrupt the person and make
the person believe that they are special and have a destiny. The sword
also convinces its possessor not to let it out of their sight. Eventually
the weapon will begin to talk the person into dreams of empire and how
they can become a powerful ruler. It will puts is abilities in the possessor's
hands to help the being gain their empire. The sword enjoys watching the
death and destruction which it causes around it. It will tell the wielder
that they should be completely merciless to increase the wanton willing.
After a while, the weapon will suggest those around them are plotting against
the owner of the sword and convince them of disloyalty everywhere. It tells
its possessor that they must deal with these disloyal elements firmly and
that if they are not removed, they will continue their plotting. Finally,
when the sword judges that they have gotten as much out of its current
possessor as they can, it will rebel against the possessor. Usually it
will convince someone to assassinating the possessor. In some cases, the
weapon will get the possessor to go after someone even more powerful in
the hopes of finding itself in their hands.

Like most rune weapons, the sword is completely indestructible. As well,
the sword is extremely well balanced and is the equal to any weapon made
by a master weapon maker. Unlike many weapons similar, the sword is not
a soul drinker. Still the sword appears to be able to penetrate far deeper
than any conventional sword and is an incredible weapon in battle. Many
possessors will carry the weapon in its sword form when entering into battle
and slay opponents with a single blow. The sword has the ability to transform
between sword and scepter form almost instantly. Still, the main abilities
of the sword are psychic in origin. It has all physical and sensitive abilities.
The most common super psychic ability which the sword uses is hypnotic
suggestion. Other abilities include the ability to bio-manipulate others,
empathically transmit, and even mentally possess others. The final ability
is rarely used. The sword can give its possessors any of the abilities
and can use them on its own including against the possessor. It most commonly
uses hypnotic suggestion and empathic transmission against them but might
use mentally possess other if it is trying to get the wielder to commit
suicide although it prefers to use other tools to kill its possessor when
the sword tires of them.

Psionic Abilities: I.S.P.: 260, recovers at a rate of 20 P.P.E.
for every three hours. Equal to eighth level psionic where applicable.
Sword is completely independent and can use its abilities at will and can
use them against the wielder as well.